Roe deer

Distribution:Roe deer are widespread all over Europe except for a few islands and the northernmost parts. They are only indigenous in Eurasia, and their earliest remains were found in France. They appeared in Hungary following the first Ice Age, and were frequently referred to as a hunted species from the 17th century onwards. The drop in the numbers of large predators in the Carpathian Basin corresponds with the increase in population and distribution of the roe deer. The best specimens of the Hungarian roe deer stock can be found on the Great Hungarian Plain, in Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok and Békés Counties, but stocks found in Transdanubia are also large and of medium quality.

Habitat:The ideal habitats for roe deer are borders rich in shrubs and thick undergrowth and strips of sparse forests interspersed with meadows and farmland. In the 1970s the introduction of methods of farming large fields, which offered quiet surroundings, led to the spread of the roe deer population. This process was also helped by the plantation of sparse forests on the Great Plain, which became ideal habitats for the roe deer population and led to their spread throughout the entire Great Plain. The species was so successful in adapting to the habitat offered by the agricultural areas that today there are two separate ecospecies of roe deer accounted for: the field and the forest roe deer.

Stocks:In 1936 there were approximately 60,000 roe deer in Hungary. In the wake of the devastation caused by World War II it was not until the 1960s that their numbers reached the 1936 level at an estimated 70,000. In the following years the continuous increase of the roe deer population could not be stopped in spite of increased hunting. After ten years they were classified as a species that had overpopulated its habitat, and the numbers of roe deer to be culled were raised. This temporarily helped to halt their spread, and after another ten years the main purpose of management was to increase the size of the roe deer population. Despite these efforts, the growth of their population came to a halt by the 1980s, and in the middle of the decade their numbers fluctuated at around 230,000. In the 1990s and 2000s there was a rise in their estimated numbers. According to the 2010 estimate, there are 366,522 specimens in the country. In 2010 88,552 roe deer were bagged, out of which 33,927 were bucks.

International scores:

105,00 - 114,99

bronze

115,00 - 129,99

silver

130,00 -

gold

Hunting seasons:

Roebucks: 15th April – 30th September

Best time: 30th April – 15th May

Rutting time: end of July – mid-August

Roe doe, fawns: 1st October – last day of February

Hunting methods:Today the most popular method is hunting from jeeps, which can be enhanced by stalking, or hunting from a hide. Stalking and hunting from a hide can be most effective when hunting forest roe deer. These methods can be used from 15th April when hunting roebucks, as well as during rutting, which starts in the 3rd week of July and finishes in August. These are also the most effective hunting techniques aimed at regulating the number of does. Another, more and more popular method is hunting with deer calls, which is most effective in the summer during rutting imitating the yearning, complaining or alarm calls of the doe or the searching call of the fawn.

The best, biggest roe buck trophys are from the eastern part of Hungary. But the southern regions produces yearli high quality trophys with heavy weight as well. Roe deer can be found in the whole country and the hunter has everywhere a good chance to find a trophy of the lifetime.